Eight and Thirteen
by Darkflower123
Summary: Eight moments Roxas treasures and thirteen moments Axel learns what it means to love. Akuroku Day Fanfiction. Zemyx, implied RiSo.


_**Notes: This was written on a hot summer day with a horrible heat rash. Hope you enjoy!**_

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**__

_1. Roxas_

"Roxas~" Someone sang, the sound echoing in the empty halls of The Castle That Never Was. Said person quickened steps, glancing behind him for the idiot that was following him.

"I see you!" The person yelled, jumping from behind one of the walls in the intersection, tackling the blond to the floor.

"God, Axel!" He huffed. "Can you please stop tackling me every time I get back from a mission? This is the third time this week!" Roxas's head thumped on the cold floor, a hand against his will rising up and petting Axel's thing he calls hair.

Axel let out a purr, nuzzling the dip in his collarbone. "Nope," He popped the P, glancing up and laughing at the astonished expression on the shorter kids face.

Roxas's cheeks puffed until he resembled a chipmunk, shoving the redhead off him and standing up, brushing off imaginary specks of dirt. "I'm going back to my room. It's too early-or late- to deal with your nonsense."

"Nooooo Roxas!" Axel dramatically clutched his chest, following Roxas like a lost puppy.

"Their's a limit to faking emotions, you know." Roxas tched, paying no mind to the overly-affectionate pyro behind him.

"The sky's the limit, Roxy~" Axel sang, falling in to step with Roxas.

"Didn't I say I would castrate you next time you called me that?" The blond snarled.

"You love me to much for that, Roxy." Axel chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Roxas could have said something the Superior trained in to him, something like how they were nobodies, they couldn't feel emotions such as love, but the blood was rushing to much in face for him to say very much.

They stopped right in front of his room, the XIII sign standing vividly on the door. Roxas could briefly smell the flowers from Marluxia's from across the hall and Larxene's girly smell.

Not that she was very feminine.

Standing in front of him room with the smell of ash and something else radiating from Axel, he wondered what he himself smelled like.

"'Night," Axel chuckled, bring Roxas out of la la land. He turned him head, blinking in succession when he noticed Axel getting closer than comfort.

"...Axel?" He whispered, blue eyes widening as the pair of green eyes got closer and closer to him own.

...and a pair of lips brushed against his cheekbone.

Roxas gasped, a feeling like the fire that the man in front of him controlled ran through his veins. He felt like he was burning and freezing at the same time, shivers jolting through his small frame.

Just as soon as it happened, did the redhead pull back and gave a smirk at the blush that rivaled a tomato on his face.

"Go to bed, Roxas." Another shiver jolted through the small boy's frame at the sound of his name.

And with that, Axel turned heel and left, leaving a very confused blonde behind.

_1. Axel_

As Axel left the blonde in front of his room, he brought his hands up and brushed his lips, the feeling of Roxas's smooth skin echoing faintly.

"Hook, Line, and Sinker." He muttered under his breath, faintly recalling the smell of the sea and baby powder surrounding the boy who made him feel like he had a heart.

_2. Roxas_

The Kiss, which Roxas dubbed in his mind, was not mentioned at all as all the more laid-back Organization members hung out in the grey area the next morning, all eating their breakfasts unhappily.

No one was a morning person except for that damn Xigbar.

"Well _good _morning my little sidekicks!" Xigbar crowed, taking a vicious bite out of his toast.

"Shut the hell up if you know what's good for you." Larxene snarled, nursing what looked like to be a hang-over.

"Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine!" Xigbar chuckled, only laughing even more as he avoided one of Larxene's throwing knifes.

"Not in the mood, Pirate!" She growled, hugging the bowl of cereal closer to her chest.

"Wow, I'm wounded. What? You and flower boy over their went drinking last night with Luxord?" Xigbar jumped, barely avoiding another knife before he went to sit by Demyx, who looked half asleep and was leaning heavily on the near comatose Zexion.

Marluxia had the grace to look offended, hmphing a little as he glanced at Luxord for support.

"Why yes, actually, you would think by now it's not a good idea to go gambling against me and expect to win. I _always _win." Luxord smirked, before stabbing one of his eggs with his fork rather violently for the usually calm guy. While Demyx and Zexion were the walking dead, Larxene was bitchy, Marluxia whiny, Luxord was rather violent.

Axel and Roxas? Roxas was fit in with Larxene in the bitchy section, scary enough that even Xigbar didn't bother him in fear of being disemboweled with a keyblade. Axel was more like Marluxia, complaining about a bunch of things and in general being a cranky bitch.

"How about you Flamesilocks? Everyone in the damn castle could hear it when little dude got home last night. Never knew a guy who could squeal that loud and simultaneously bolt out from a lecture that fast."

Roxas would have blushed, but it was too early in the morning for this.

Axel hmmph, poking at his cereal from his position next to his Roxy. Said person was curled in to Axel's side, glaring daggers at everything that moved.

"Have you received a punishment from the oh so famous second-in-command yet? I was pretty sure that you weren't suppose to leave that meeting without being excused." Xigbar chuckled good-naturally, putting his feet up on the arm-rest.

"Since I'm the oh so famous second-in-command, I suppose you don't mind taking on more missions, do you?" Someone smirked behind Xigbar. Everyone bolted in to a sitting position except for Zexion, who was still damn near comatose, and Roxas and Axel, who the latter couldn't move without getting one of the former's infamous icy glares.

"Demyx, you and Zexion go to traverse town and eliminate the heartless there. Xigbar, you're going to Port Royal. Larxene, Land of the Dragons. Marluxia and Luxord, go to Alantica on a reconnaissance mission. Since the incident yesterday was left unpunished, Axel, you and Roxas will go to Agrabah and defeat **all** the heartless there." Saix walked around Xigbar, handing each of them a folder.

The blue-haired man reached out to give Roxas his folder, unflinching when Roxas glared at him and nearly took his hand off. Handing a folder to Axel, he was surprised when The Flurry Of The Dancing Flames just smiled and took it, acting like he just won the lottery.

_2. Axel_

As Axel skipped down the hall, he grabbed Roxas's gloved hand in his and pulled him in to the dark portal he just created.

"Come on, Roxy!" He laughed.

There it was, that blush creeping on his face. Now he was finally back to his own self, blushing, sarcastic Roxas.

"Didn't I tell not to call me Roxy?!" He snarled, elbowing the red-head in the ribs.

Despite the pain flaring up in his side, he couldn't help smiling at the shorter boy before him.

_3. Axel_

Both were sweaty and hot, the long black trench coats not helping all that much. Axel had his back pressed to the blonde's, chakrams dangling limply at his side.

"Are...Are we done yet?" He panted. His heat tolerance was pretty high, considering he set himself on fire on a nearly daily basis, but this was ten times worse than any inferno.

"No...ugh." Roxas groaned behind him.

That was when he felt something sticky, something not _sweat, _press in to his back.

Turning around, he had to repress a gasp of horror. Roxas's trench coat was ripped at his side, black blood matting it down and trickling down to the ground.

"You're hurt!" He yelled, grabbing the keyblade wielder's shoulders and spinning him around. Leaning down, It looked like a heartless nicked him in the side.

"Nothing...a potion...won't cure." He gasped, his usually cocky attitude depleted with the heat.

Axel leaned back, searching through his pack for a potion. He muttered under his breath, a sigh of relief escaping when he found one. The redhead anxiously watched as the blonde chugged it, the wound healing shut.

"See, I told you I was-Mph!" Roxas didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because as soon as he finished healing he was engulfed by over six feet of Axel.

"Oh thank god," Axel breathed, nuzzling his chin in Roxas's spikes. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

As Axel breathed in the smell of the sea, two small arms curled around his torso and hugged him back.

_3. Roxas_

Roxas pushed open the library doors, peeking around silently for the person he was looking for. Seeing no sign of the Cloaked Schemer, he sighed, deciding to go and take a seat while he waited.

Rounding the corner, he had to physically stop himself from screaming.

Zexion was there alright, there and doing something with his his mouth with Demyx. Were they eating each other?!

"What are you two doing?" Roxas asked after a couple of minutes of smacking and slurping from the two of them.

Zexion's eyes opened, pulling back and looking at him with shock all over his face. Demyx simply smiled and wave, drool trailing down his chin.

"Hey Roxas!" Demyx cheered. "How..uh long were you standing there?"

"Couple of minutes." He shrugged. Zexion hung his head, his ears turning red.

"Oh..." Demyx trailed off, before something clicked in his head. "Wait, why didn't you say anything?"

Roxas shrugged. "Didn't know what you were doing."

"Didn't know what we were doing..." Zexion trailed off before his eyes brightened. "I keep forgetting that your only a couple months old."

"Thanks for the reminder," The shorter blonde snarled, sitting down on the couch in between the two of them. "So what were you two doing?"

Zexion blushed again, looking lost for words. Roxas openly dropped his jaw, Zexion looking lost for _anything _is incredibility rare.

Since the slate-haired man was currently incapable of speaking, the taller blonde spoke up. "We were kissing."

The Key Of Destiny tilted his head. "What's kissing?"

Zexion spoke up this time, though he still had a blush on his face. "We will teach you what it is, as long as you don't say a word to any one outside this room."

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Even Axel?"

Zexion nodded. "Even Axel."

The smaller boy pondered for a moment, but nodded any how. This piece of information was too invaluable to lose.

"Kissing is.." Demyx began. "Kissing is an act in where people show their love for each other. Their is different kinds of kissing. Their are ones in how a mother and child express their love for one another, and their are different ones for lovers."

Roxas nodded, but then looked confused. "How is it different for lovers than mothers?"

"The feeling behind them." Zexion blushed harder.

Roxas nodded again, then looked between both of them. "So are you lovers or mother and child?"

Demyx sputtered, laughing hysterically at the look of outrage on Zexion's face. Demyx only engaged in conversation again once his hysterics calmed down some.

"Only you kid," Demyx patted his back, still chuckling. "Only you."

"What?" Roxas looked at the both of them. "What's so funny?"

Zexion coughed, looking at the blondes in a silent request for them to shut up and listen. "Why did you come in here, Roxas?"

Said person brightened up. "Oh, I was actually looking for you!"

"Me?" Zexion asked, pointing his finger at himself.

"Yeah!" Roxas nodded his head rapidly. "I was wondering what it meant for someone to put their lips on your cheek."

Their was silence from both of them.

"Someone..kissed you?" Demyx asked slowly, as if he was making sure he heard right.

"If that's what a kiss is, then yeah."

Zexion's face darkened. "So..who _kissed _you?"

"Axel!" Roxas smiled to himself. Demyx and Zexion both looked like they nearly had a heart attack. Well, if they had hearts.

"...Axel? When was this?" Zexion asked.

"A couple days ago, Axel tackled me after I got back from a solo mission in Wonderland. He walked me back to my room, but before I went in he kissed me right here." The boy pointed at his cheekbone.

"Oh..." Both trailed off, looking lost for words again. Zexion cleared his throat, the blush that was fading returning back with full force.

"A kiss there usually up for grabs, romantic or friendly." He avoided eye contact with Roxas.

"Oh..." This time Roxas was the one who blushed, a small smile appearing on his face as he stared down at the ground.

_4. Axel_

Roxas's eyes are like the sky, Axel thought to himself as he finished the rest of the paperwork for today's mission. Paperwork was the curse of his existence.

The sound of the door opening startled him out of his reverence. Everyone else knocked, except for Larxene, but she usually slammed the door open instead. Only one person would silently walk in like that.

"Roxas!" He laughed, spinning around in his chair. Said person was leaning against the door frame, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Roxas?" He asked, standing up and walking toward the blond until he stood in front of him.

The blonde said something, something he couldn't make out.

"What did you say? Can't hear anything Roxy." Axel ruffled the smaller boy's hair. Instead of some nasty comment back, Roxas blushed and looked away.

"The kiss..." Roxas whispered. Axel leaned closer, a blush of his own forming when he mentioned that spur of the moment kiss.

"The kiss." Roxas stated more firmly. "Can you do it again?"

Axel was truly dumbfounded. "Huh?" He asked, his mind completely blank.

Roxas rolled his eyes, looking fed up. Two hands grabbed the redhead's coats' collar and pulled.

Axel's eyes widened even more, watching Roxas's determined expression slam in to his, and then suddenly-

They were kissing.

Roxas had his eyes closed, but their was no mistaking the blush creeping all the way out to his ears. It only took him a moment, but then he was burying his hand in blond spikes, kissing back just as hard as they slammed on to the closed door.

The teen whimpered, honest to god _whimpered _, his hands climbing up and burying in to red hair. Axel only growled, biting Roxas's lip.

Roxas gasped, opening his lips and letting Axel tongue explore his mouth-

His knees gave out.

Axel barely caught him as he fell to the floor, face red and desperately trying to catch his breath.

"Whoa..." He breathed, smiling up at Axel's grinning face.

"Whoa is right." Axel smiled back.

_5. Axel_

Roxas matched him perfectly in height, reaching just up to his collarbone, and snuggling right up to his chest, legs tangled together.

Who would have thought that The Key Of Destiny liked to snuggle when he slept?

~  
_4. Roxas_

Axel had a very warm hand, Roxas thought to himself as he ate dinner with the pyro along with the rest of the breakfast crew, hands interlinked under the table.

"God damn snow." Larxene growled, stabbing her food much like Luxord was in the morning.

"Larxene, just because your angry because your make-up smudged doesn't mean you should be a bitch to everyone in sight." Axel sing-song, laughing as she glared at him.

"Shut it, Fire-crotch." She snarled.

"Children," Zexion scolded with out even looking up from the book he was reading under the table. "Don't make me ground the both of you."

"You're not our mother!" Larxene stuck her tongue out while Axel gave him the bird.

Zexion sighed. "Lexaeus, could you do the honors?"

Lexaeus had joined them today, as he had an overnight mission previously. The muscled man reached forward and smacked both of them behind their heads.

"Ow!" They both screeched, reaching up with their free hands to rub at the tender spot on their heads.

"Whoa! Way to go Zexion!" Marluxia clapped, and even Luxord and Xigbar looked impressed.

"Yeah! Way to go Zexy!" Demyx cheered, jumping across the table and hugging the slate-haired man.

"Both of you will get along now, correct?" Zexion asked around an armful of Demyx. Both Larxene and Axel nodded, both nursing rather large bumps.

"Hey kiddos!" Xigbar slammed forward from where his chair was perched on its back legs. "Who wants to ditch the mandatory meeting tomorrow? I know I do."

"I think everyone wants to, Xigbar." Roxas spoke slowly, his voice dripping with distaste. "But do you conveniently forget the punishment last time _someone _decided it was a good idea to skip a **mandatory **meeting?"

Xigbar winched.

"Now now," Luxord spoke calmly, shuffling food in to his mouth. "No fighting at the dinner table now. Didn't your mothers teach you manners?"

"Don't know." Roxas smirked, tapping his skull. "Can't remember anything, remember?"

"God," Marluxia slammed his head on the table. "We should have never let Axel be your mentor, you sound way too much like him.."

Roxas looked questionably at Axel, but the redhead only shrugged. Marluxia was probably coming down off a high from all those flowers he sniffed all day.

Xigbar chose that moment to catapult out of his chair and tackled Lexaeus to the floor. The domino effect ended up sending both Zexion (with a cuddling Demyx) to the floor along with a pissed off Larxene.

"Guys!" Larxene screeched, only getting angrier by the minute. The laughing hysterically Marluxia didn't help either. With a growl that sounded more like a cheetah than human, she tackled the Graceful Assassin to the floor.

Zexion attempted to get up, but was knocked back when Larxene's tackle knocked a glass right over Demyx's head and knocked his to the ground.

"Demyx?" He called, shaking the blondes shoulder, his eyes widening when a droplet of blood rolled down Demyx's temple.

Zexion got to his feet, the lexicon appearing in front of him. "THIS IS WAR!" He bellowed, grabbing the book and smacking Luxord over the head with it.

"What the hell!" Luxord yelled, falling to the floor as Zexion repeatedly smacked him over the head with a giant dictionary.

"Roxy, run!" Axel gasped, pulling him out of the chair. Roxas panicked, bolting for the door, but tripped over the tussling Marluxia and Larxene, face-planting on the the floor.

"Roxy!" The redhead fell to his knees next to the groaning blonde.

"...The fuck?" Roxas raised his head off the ground, only to watch as drops of blood fell to the white floor. Axel followed Roxas's eyes, his green ones widening to the point where the green was just a small strip in the sea of white.

Axel slowly got up, grabbing Roxas from under his arms and pulling him until he leaned against the wall.

"Fuck, that hurts. Shit, shit, shit, I think I broke my nose. Son of a bitch!" Roxas swore, clutching his nose as blood dripped down on his trench coat. He also swore when he was in a lot of pain.

"Wait here." Axel commanded, Roxas looking up at the strange expression on his face. But one thing Roxas could read, and that had him leaning against the wall with an obedient expression on his face.

Axel was _pissed._

He strode over to were Marluxia and Larxene were pulling at each others hair, a lone chakram appearing in his hand. His footsteps caught the attention of both the former and Xigbar and Lexaeus noticed.

They all looked up.

And they all turned as white as a sheet, glanced at him who was still clutching his bloody nose, then back at Axel, and then proceeded to scramble to try and stand and get out of there with all their limbs intact.

Let me fill you in on something, while all the other members were good fighters in their own right, no one had gone against Axel when he was mad and not get any scars because of it.

Axel jumped.

Marluxia slammed to the floor, Axel inches behind with his chakram in hand. He brought up his empty hand and slammed his fist right in to Marluxia's face and knocked him out with one hit. Jumping up, he grabbed Larxene's hood and slammed her back as well.

Zexion stopped with his previous book smacking, looking up at the blood lust written all over Axel's face. Luxord stood up from his crouched position, a look of horror growing on each of their faces. Zexion immediately raced for the unconscious Demyx, hoisting him over his shoulder and booking it out of there with Luxord at his heels.

Hearing the sound of someone screaming, Vexen raised his head from one of his newest experiments and stared at the open door inquiringly. At that moment, Zexion with an unconscious Demyx thrown over his shoulder raced by, a bruised and battered Luxord two steps behind him.

Lexaeus was next, looking surprisingly terrified along with Xigbar. The free shooter stopped at their door, panting with a streak of blood on his coat.

"Axel," Was all he said, racing out again, most likely going to find somewhere to hide.

Vexen looked at Xaldin, who shrugged, and then proceeded to close the door and deadbolt lock it.

_6. Axel_

He didn't think he had ever been that angry in his life.

"Sorry for losing control like that, Roxy." He apologized, wiping the blood off the smaller boy's face. After Larxene and Marluxia were beaten to a rather bloody pulp, Axel had carried a rather silent Roxas to Vexen's lab, breaking down the door when he found it was locked and no one would open it. Vexen said it wasn't broken (the nose, not the door), so he had brought the blonde back to his room.

"It's fine," Roxas grabbed both of his hands, which he realized were shaking, and brought them to his lips, planting a kiss on each bloody knuckle.

When Roxas looked back up, his lips were stained red and pulled back in to a gentle smile, one that looked so real that it couldn't be faked.

"It's fine, because it's you."

Axel wrapped himself around the small boy, his nose buried in his neck. Roxas giggled, bringing his arms around Axel's trembling shoulders.

For some reason, his chest ached.

_5. Roxas_

"Axel?" He asked, leaning back against the wall on the clock tower. The both of them were eating sea salt ice cream while watching the sun set.

"Yeah? Axel replied, leaning against his side with one arm slung over his shoulder, both their free hands intertwining.

"Do you think nobodies can love?" Axel stilled, his fingers stopped playing with the blond's hair.

"Why do you think that?" Axel asked instead.

"It's just...Are we really heartless monsters? I always feel like their something more, like, maybe a heart is something you can't feel after all. Maybe we can learn to feel. Maybe we can learn to love." Roxas brought up his dripping Popsicle, watching it block out the last of the sun's rays.

Axel coughed, his hand going back to stroking Roxas's hair. "What brought this on?"

Roxas looked up, smiling at the confused look on the redhead's face. "Nothing."

They didn't speak about the conversation for the rest of the time up there, only when they were preparing to leave did Axel grabbed his hand and tugged him back in to his side.

"What brought this on?" Roxas smirked, throwing his words back at him.

"Nothing," Axel hummed in to his hair. "Just felt like cuddling with you."

"Really?" He laughed, leaning back in to his side.

After a couple minutes of silence from the both of them, Axel spoke up.

"Roxas?"

"Hmm?" He nuzzled his shoulder.

"Do you think...never mind, it's stupid." Axel looked away.

His mouth formed a small frown. "No, it's not. Talk to me about it."

Axel looked away, but then looked down again back a him. "It's just...If you think I had a heart, I could love someone?"

Roxas smiled, shaking his head at him. "Of course, isn't that what a heart is for?"

The boy stood up, waving goodbye at Axel and their strange conversation. But before he could leave completely, Axel scrambled to his feet and grabbed his hand.

"Wait!" Axel pulled at his hand until they were facing each other.

"I-I-I think, that if I still had a heart, I could love someone. Love you." Axel stammered, holding eye contact the entire time.

Roxas leaned back, a dazzling smile on his face. "Me too, Axel. Me too."

_7. Axel_

Roxas wrings his hands when he's nervous. He also has dimples he tries to hide when he smiles, a bad habit of forgetting to brush his teeth, and has a taste for seafood, especially tuna.

He also loves the beach, collects scraps of random trash and seashells when ever he can after missions, has a pendent for cheating when everyone plays poker, and sleeps with a stolen tee of Axel's and boxers.

The blonde's spike are all natural, no hair gel required. Between missions he'll dance with Demyx to music, sometimes going to the library with Zexion and read side by side together. Other times, he'll help out in the gardens with Marluxia, or be dragged in to shopping with Larxene and have to carry her bags.

Every little thing about Roxas, Axel loves to learn, and each time he learns something knew, the ache in his chest grows less and less.

_8. Axel_

"What cha reading this time?" Axel asked, leaning down and reading the cover of the book. "The legend of the paopu fruit?"

Roxas looked up, a strange expression on his face. "Yeah, lately...I keep having these strange dreams."

"Dreams?" Axel took a seat next to him.

"Yeah, might be memories of my somebody or something, but in each one I'm on a beach, and I'm always talking with these two people, Riku and Kairi? Yeah," Axel stiffened. "And in each one were always on an island together playing, but they keep calling me some weird name."

Roxas was about to continue on, but Axel was on him in a flash, hands digging into his wrists painfully.

"...Axel?" He whispered, staring up at him with wide blue eyes.

"You're mine," He growled, digging his nails from where he was pinning the blonde's wrists. "Say it! Say you're mine!"

"Axel! What wrong with-EEK!" His sentence ended with a squeal as the sound of sizzling flesh reached their ears.

"Say it!" Axel shouted, lifting the small boy up and slamming him back down on the mattress.

Roxas whimpered, one of pain this time. "O-Okay! I'm yours, I'm yours- Mph!" This time he was cut off the bruising kiss Axel forced on him.

"You're nothing without me." He hissed when he broke the kiss.

Just like the first time, Axel stood up, and left.

_9. Axel_

Only around midnight did he come crawling back, curling in to Roxas's side with his head buried in his neck.

"I'm sorry," He moaned in Roxas's neck. "I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Roxas shushed him, running a hand through Axel's mane.

Tears started coming down Axel's face as he wrapped himself once more around the boy. And they only started falling harder when he noticed the burn marks around both of his wrists.

_6. Roxas_

They didn't talk about the impending mission to Castle Oblivion, they talked by kissing and small gentle touches.

A nip. _You're mine._

A rough kiss. _I'll miss you._

A gentle hand stroking his neck. _I want to remember you._

Both of them knew it was a dangerous mission, one that Axel might not come back from. They also knew that today might be their last time together.

Roxas broke the kiss, instead nipping the redhead's throat as he move downward. Both of them were supposed to eating ice cream according to the other members, but at the moment Roxas had pushed Axel against the wall and was currently straddling him.

"Are you sure about this?" Axel breathed, his voice lower than he'd ever heard it. His hands sneaked up Roxas's shirt, the trench coats tossed a while ago

"No," Roxas gasped, grinding Axel harshly, both of them grunting in pleasure. He gave Axel a hard kiss, grabbing the bottle from his pants and handing it to Axel. "But this is about as sure as I'm going to get."

Axel broke the kiss to read the label, his green eyes brightening in amusement. He put it to the side, his hands going back to ripping off the blonde's shirt.

"Well then," He panted, his tongue slipping out and licking the smaller boy's ear. "Let's get the show on the road."

Axel grabbed him by his still burned wrists, flipping him on to the ground, smirking deviously above him.

Roxas gulped, the only thing he could do now was brace himself.

_7. Roxas_

They cuddled together in the afterglow, their hands laying with each other, Axel's goofy grin growing more and more at every hickey and bite mark he spotted on the blonde.

"I cannot believe we just had sex. On a clock tower. In the middle of the day. What is wrong with us?" He looked up to the redhead.

"Nothing is wrong with us. And correction, it's not the middle of the day, we're in a world of eternal sunset. And I put up a barrier so no one could get in or out." Axel smirked, only laughing when Roxas reached over and smacked his arm with his free hand.

"It was a hypothetical question, dumb-ass." Axel's grin only got wider, wrapping himself around Roxas and forcing the smaller boy on his back.

There was a few minutes of silence between them, before Roxas broke it.

"About what you said a while back, about how if we had a heart we could love someone. Maybe we do have hearts, maybe we create one of our own someday. I wanted to say was..." Roxas looked up, tangling both of their hands together.

He took a deep breathe, and looked him in the eye. "What I wanted to say was that you were the only one who makes me feel like I have a heart."

Axel stared at him, his green eyes watering, before he jumped the blonde and held him close.

"Me too," He whispered. "Me too."

They played with each other's hands some more, but Roxas's mind was more focused on the setting sun.

With one hand, he reached out and covered it, admiring the way his whole hand turned orange. He could never tell Axel about how the dreams and been increasing and getting clearer and clearer with every passing night. He couldn't say anything about his friends of his somebody, Riku and Kairi, who he feels something for them even if he had never met them.

"Hey Axel?" He asked, turning around to face him.

"Hmm?" Axel's eyes were half-closed, looking awfully tired.

"Promise me something."

"Yeah sure, what is it?"

_Promise me you'll never forget me. Promise me you'll always be mine as I'm always yours_. "Promise me that at dusk, you'll always think of me."

"Why?" Axel stared down at him quizzically

"Just promise me. Please."

"Okay. I promise."

Roxas let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"You're going to tell me about it?"

"Nope. We're taking a nap now."

"Do I have a choice in this?"

"No~"

_10. Axel_

Warms arms held him as he cried.

This past week, he single-handily helped kill five people. Their blood stained his hands.

He could never tell Roxas that he was the one who did it. It would completely destroy him, completely and utterly wreck the innocence Axel tried so hard to protect. The blonde believed his story of barely making it out with his life, and he planned to keep it that way.

The facts were, he wasn't even that ashamed he killed five people. It was the guilt of killing three of Roxas's friends.

Roxas hiccuped above him, shakily running a hand through his hair. Guilt clenched his stomach.

Larxene and Marluxia were traitors, it had to be done, but the soft look in their eyes when ever they spoke to Roxas, or the way a tiny bit of remorse showed in their eyes before they left was all that was needed for him to join the sob fest.

Roxas was talking, talking about the three of them. He had to stop every once and a while to catch his breath from the sobs that wreck his small frame, but he listened all the same.

Marluxia took him gardening when he first joined the organization. He had shown the zombie-like boy about taking care of a plant, of a fractal of life in your hands. They had planted tulips in the fall, and when they were born in spring, it was one of the best feelings he ever had.

Larxene dragged him shopping with her on a weekly basis, both of them openly making fun of mall-goers as they dressed in strange human fashions. Roxas was stuck with carrying all the bags, but it was always okay because she would take him out to eat at french restaurants and teach him some of the foreign language.

And despite it all, he knew that the teen was taking Zexion's the hardest.

He talked about how him and Zexion would go to one of the libraries in Twilight Town. Zexion would cloak both of them and laugh at the look of shock on everyone faces as they watched the door open on its own. The both of them would race through the aisle, stuffing book after book beneath their cloaks until their arms were full. Then they would go to the slate-haired mans room and dump all their books on his bed and compare who had the better catch.

Axel would never stop feeling guilty for the tears in Roxas's eyes and the look of utter agony in Demyx's.

But he knew it had to be done. He could see how the usually cold nobody was growing fond of their newest member, and Demyx and Roxas growing friendship only seemed to add fuel to the fire. Axel could see how he was going to tell Roxas about Sora when he got back, but that was something he could never let happen. If Roxas learned about Sora, then he would leave and would never come back. His one chance at happiness would be destroyed.

So he had too. But it wouldn't stop the tears coming from both of them.

~  
_11. Axel_

"He's gone." Was the first thing he heard when he stumbled in to the grey area in the morning.

"Huh?" He stared down at the only person in the room.

After Castle Oblivion, everyone had grown apart. They were no longer friends, just colleagues living together.

As he stared down at the blond in front of him, he remembered Demyx had took it the hardest. The Melodious Nocturne had spent weeks walking around with red eyes and not talking to anyone except for Roxas, as they both were red-eyed those few weeks.

"He's gone. He left last night after slipping in a few sleeping pills in your water." Demyx glared up at him.

While Axel wasn't necessarily apologetic, he could empathize. Zexion was to Demyx like Roxas is to him.

"Who?" He croaked, a bit wary around the easily agitated blond.

But Demyx was also one of the first to figure it out. There was so much rage and hate storming in those usually laid-back blue eyes it had him flinching every time they made eye contact and locking his door at night.

"Don't act dumb. You know who." Demyx replied with a bored expression, idly strumming his sitar.

And the worst part was he had a sinking feeling about it.

"Roxas?" He whispered.

The glare, a glare that screamed _it's all his fault, _was all the confirmation he needed.

Axel bolted out of the grey room and toward the hallway that led to all their rooms. He ran past all of the members rooms, guilt clenching as he ran by Zexion's empty one, and skidded in front of the door where it all began all those nights ago.

He knocked, as if the blond would answer if he did. After hearing no answer, he decided if Roxas by some miracle still sleeping he would forgive him for this. The redhead slammed the door open, eyes flickering everywhere. The bookshelf that usually held trinkets he collected were gone. The bed was made like no one was ever in it (and Roxas never made his bed) and the box that held his collection of sea shells disappeared in to thin air.

He was gone.

This could not be happening! Axel breathed heavily, running his hands through his hair like Roxas liked to do to him in the afterglow. Tears were prickling in his eyes.

"He left behind some thing at our bedsides, even some to Larxene and Marluxia as if he planned this ahead." Demyx spoke from behind him.

Slowly turning around, he stared at Demyx who clutched a huge tome to his chest. Axel recognized it as the lexicon Zexion use to fight with. Roxas had it on his desk a couple days ago.

"Funny, isn't it?" The blonde tilted his head, his eyes still red-rimmed. "That you were the one who ruined my life. It would only be fair if I was the who delivered the news that ruined yours."

That day was the day were Axel lost a lover, but Demyx already lost one and his best friend.

_12. Axel_

"He..was the only one who made me feel like I had a heart. It's..kind of funny..you..make me feel...the same." Axel panted, watching Sora's eyes carefully. Behind those ocean-blue eyes were ones that resembled the sky.

There. A flicker.

This was the closest he was ever going to get to love, but that was okay. He didn't think there was ever a feeling better than this.

Maybe both of them were in love, but when they realized, it was much too late.

Even if he was dying, he found himself strangely okay with it. A worn envelope with a lone Popsicle stick that read 'WINNER' in one pocket and a pink seashell in another. And in a package left hidden in Sora's room, was a lone photo of the nine of them at the beach, all of them smiling at the camera where once upon a time where faking happiness felt like it was real, where one tall redhead stood in the middle with his arm slung around one shorter blonde who eyes were like the sky and smelled just like the sea.

:

:

_8. Roxas_

"Sora! We're going to be late!" Roxas shouted, pulling on his sneakers, His skateboard on the ground beside him.

"Coming! Sheesh, you would think you would be used to it by now." His older twin grumbled the last part under his breath before grabbing his skates and slipping them on.

"Well I'm sorry I don't want to be tardy." Roxas snarled right back, grabbing both of their backpacks and handing one to Sora.

"Boys, stop fighting." Leon, their older brother, scolded them from his perch on the breakfast bar. His boyfriend, Cloud, was sitting next to him with his head buried in his arms.

Both of them looked sheepish for a moment before they bustled with the rest of their preparations.

"You hanging with Dem and the crew tonight?" Sora asked, fixing Roxas's tie while the latter fixed his.

"Yeah, were heading over to Reno's for his DDR." Roxas nodded, before leaning down and fixing Sora's shoe laces.

"Oh really?" Roxas could hear the waggling of his twin eyebrows. "Reno is Axel's older brother, right?"

"Shut it!" Roxas blushed standing up and grabbing a slice of toast off Cloud's uneaten plate. Likely he wasn't going to eat it, the older blonde would sleep the day away if he could.

Leon looked up from where he was reading the paper. "Axel's that guy you like, isn't he?"

"No!" Roxas crossed his arms. "He's a self-centered asshole who has no respect for personal boundaries and toys with people's emotions-"

"And you blush when ever he comes with twenty feet of you-" Sora waggled his eyebrows.

"You shut it! Give me romantic advise when you finally get the balls to ask Riku out." Roxas smacked the brunette in the shoulder, smirking when it was his brother's turn to blush.

"That was uncalled for! Leon!"

"Boys," Leon drawled without looking up. "School. Now."

"Yes mother." Both of them said in sync, rushing out the door when they got one of the infamous raised eyebrows.

"Are Zexion and Demyx going out yet?" Sora asked as they skated the mile to school together.

"No, but it's bound to happen. They've been circling each other for years already. The signs are kind of obvious, they give each other kisses for hellos, they go out together after school everyday, they hold hands and sleepover each others houses." Roxas listed of with his fingers.

"Hey!" Sora grabbed his chest, looking offended. "Me and Kairi do the same thing."

"Kairi and I." Roxas corrected. "Yeah, but the two of you have that gay guy and slash fangirl best friend kind of thing ."

"Anything else new?" Sora asked, skating backwards down the empty sidewalk.

"Not really. Marluxia, Larxene, and Luxord are all in college for the first time, so they've been busy. Demyx and Zexion are still circling, Lexaeus got a new job as a body guard for the band Demyx is in, Namine has an art show coming up soon, Xigbar is still fucking missing- not too worried about that, he'll pop up soon enough-, and Olette, Pence, and Hayner and I are all going out next weekend to go watch a movie." Roxas smirked at the confused look on his face.

"Damn, you got a lot of friends. Well, Riku quit a club, so we've had more time to hang out now a days. Kairi's still going strong with Tidus, -how many years has it been, three?- Wakka and Selphie are going out on their first date soon. Aerith and Zack adopted a new puppy, they named it Vincent! It's so cute! Yuffie's looking for a new job, again. She quit Cid's for some reason that's beyond me. Tifa's still going through men like pairs of underwear. That's about it," Sora gave a ran down.

Both of the twins are very close, but between juggling schoolwork, part-time jobs, love interests, friends, visitations with their parents, and the basic human needs, they never really have a chance to talk. The rides to and from school together were really their only chances to talk.

"We're here!" Sora squeaked, suddenly rolling to a stop and double checking his outfit, suddenly self-conscious.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "You look fine, come one!"

But said person stopped and tidied themselves up when they saw a certain redhead across the school yard.

And proceeded to stop dead when said redhead spotted him and waved, walking toward him.

"Sora!" He whispered yelled, tugging on his sleeve. "He's walking this way!"

Axel stopped in front of the both of them, fingering his lip ring with his tongue.

"Roxas?" He asked slowly, looking between the two of them.

"..Yeah?" Roxas answered hesitantly. Those green eyes lit up when they landed on him.

"Reno said you were coming over tonight. You good at math?" Axel leaned forward, smirking at the blush on Roxas's face.

The blonde hesitated, but nodded nonetheless.

"Good, bring your math textbook. You're going to be my tutor." Was all Axel said before walking off, hips swagging.

"I'm going to pretend I don't see you staring at his ass like a piece of meat and go ahead and give you my congrats." Sora smiled, patting him on the back before walking off.

"...Yeah," Roxas spoke softly to himself, a small blush on his face along with a huge smile.

_13. Axel_

"You honestly thought I wasn't interested in you?!" Axel laughed, his hand linked loosely with the skater next to him.

"Well excuse me for you giving off mixed signals!" Roxas puffed, licking his ice cream. They were sitting on the clock tower together, watching the sun set.

For some reason, their was an aching in his chest that wasn't there before.

"Dude, seriously." He gave Roxas an offended look. "I've been staring at your ass for the past five years. I've _staked _my claim, dammit. Everyone but you knew I liked you. Even your oblivious brother caught me in the act of trying to cop a feel."

Roxas stopped eating his ice cream, head snapping back to look at Axel.

"So **you** were the one who kept grabbing my ass in the hallways freshman year! And here I thought the school was full of perverts!"

Axel laughed again, leaning against the blonde as he swing his feet. "You are just so oblivious sometime, Roxy." He chuckled to himself, feeling rather than seeing the younger teen's blush. "If it weren't for you brother I would have continued copping a feel."

Roxas gazed questionably at him. "Sora?"

"Nah, the older one."

Roxas looked even more surprised. "Leon?!"

"Yeah, he came in for some PTO meeting and caught me in the act. I was shitting bricks once he was through with me." Axel shuddered, memories of a thing called overprotective big brothers racing through his head.

"So wait," Roxas looked down at his lap. "Even LEON knew you liked me?!"

Axel nodded, smiling brightly when Roxas just hung his head.

"Saw you back from spring break and I was in front of you before I knew it, had to say something to get you to come over. How 'bout the classic tutoring line? Can't believed it worked though."

Roxas looked up at that, scratching his head with his free hand and giving Axel a smile. His breath caught in his throat from the sheer intensity of it.

"Do you believe in reincarnation?" He blurted out, flicking the lip ring he had. A nervous tic he had.

Roxas blinked. He blinked again, but slowly nodded.

"I've been having these strange dreams sometimes. I can never remember them, but I can remember that sometimes I was so incredibly happy, and other times I'm so depressed I feel like i'm drowning." Roxas whispered.

Axel gripped his hand tighter, scattered memories from his dreams flitting through his mind.

"You ever feel the same?" Roxas looked up at him.

Axel swallowed, and ever so slowly...

Nodded.

_Eight and Thirteen: END_


End file.
